The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-06
HINTS FOR T,n.E HOUSEHOLD.
Sweeping and busting.


Prepared for the Indiana polls Journal
To begin at the beginning it should always be
remembered in furnishing room that sweeping
Will De frequent if not a daily, necessity. This
necessity, together with the invasion of the buff
ra'o moth. is gradually bringing in the fashion of
thick rugs or carpets, covering only the centers
of polished floors. There are MANY reasons whv
this style of floor covering should be adopted. but
we are at present concerned only with the most
OBVIOUS one. There is no more prolific source of
dirt no more unwholesome uncleanable article
in the whole house than a thick carpet tightly
nailed to the floor and reaching to the very mop
BOARD. In mostfamilies carpet does duty just as
long as it can be made decent by careful darnine
and turning about It is probably safe to say that
the average life of carpet is six years. while
many OF them do good service for twice that
length of time. What an accumulation of filth:
what repository of vile doors; what breeder
OF disease must it become with any but the very
best of care! If this were the only reason why
it should be discarded, one would think il
quickly CO. But conservatism ~uss
the Garnet is -. politics or religion, and
time to destined to hold sway for long
come If we must have carpets then,
teip Us choose them wisely and care for them in
te'ngently.
The advice so often given to buy only the best
things because they are cheapest in the end is
apt to be very poor advice in regard to carpets.
BY all means buy the best and handsomest if
you can afford to replace them often enough so
tnatyou may always have a comparatively clean
carpet. If expense is very important consid-
GRAFTON. choose good, firm ingram or other
serviceable carpet of moderate cost. Il will
wear as long as it ought to be used. and then it
can be replaced by q clean one.
SweeDlnp a very laboriou1 task and when
properly performed should not need to be re-
peated until some days have elapsed. Hence it
is important to choose a carpet which will not
show every shred or bit of dust Avoid dark
colors and plain blocks or spaces of any one col
or. Soft subdued ttnts and mixed patterns give
most satisfaction. John Burroughs, speaking
OF the pine forest, says: Let the designers
come here and get the true pattern for a carpet
"a soft, yellowish brown, with only red leaf,
or bit Of gray moss or a dusky lichen scat
tered here and there-a back ground that does
not weary or bewlder the eye or insult the
ground loving foot" just such carpet as that
would delight the heart of the housewife If. in
the endless round of household duties sweeping
day must be postponed, such carpet would tell
no tales
AS in great many other tasks, the getting
ready Is the worst part of sweeping. The
sweeper should incase herself from head to foot
in Calico which is none the worse for good
busting, since vigorous shake will remove all
traces OF it. The first thing to do is to take all
room, after carefully busting them with soft
cloth, then brush and fold every table-spread.
mantel-scarf and removable bit of drapery
which the room contains shake the curtains and
protect them as best you may from the dust
Dust and remove such articles of furniture as
are not too heavy, so that you may have a clear
field. Cover all remaining articles with cloths,
ana then you are ready to begin. Ii is safe to
call In Bridget at this stage Of affairs, il you
choose but do not leave her to her own de-
vices, or your careful preparations will
be followed up by only Indifferent
sweeping. Provided with good flexible broom,
she should begin at the very edge of the room,
go carefully all around it, moving the broom
with vigorous sweeps parallel with the walls and
close to them. This will dislodge the dust that
has settled between the carpet and mop board
and prove something of discouragement to the
carpet moth, as wel though we cannot hope to
evict him. when once comfortably settled, by
any such gentle means; brush, broom or wing
may be needed to supplement the broom in the
corners. When the sweeper has thus made the
circuit of the ROOM she may 60 all around it
again, this time sweeping towards the center,
and so she may proceed. in ever-lessening circles
until the dust and dirt are gathered in a heap in
the middle of the floor. After the pile is care
fully removed and the place which it occupied
brushed until it looks fresh as the rest of the
carpet tie windows may be opened and the op-
orator sit down to rest.
This. in some houses, would be considered a
carefully swept floor, but the mistress who has
should be got ready, hesitates to return the fur
nture until the dust is removed from the carpet
Well she knows that in that case she may put
her sweeping days twice or three times as far
apart AS II the work were carelessly done.
Then, when the dust is settled, take the carpet
sweeper-an article (which should be In every
house-and go carefully over the wholdroom
first in one direction and then at right angles
to it. Anyone who has never tried it will be
surprised at the quantity of fine dust thus re-
moved. 1t needs ONLY n aliDht of
the contents CT the sweeper to explain why in so
many rooms busting is constant necessity
To finish the work as it has been begun let
Bridget take a pail of water into which a sponee
full of ammonia has been put and go over the
whole carpet, on her knees, wringiug her cloth
dry and rubbing vigorously. 1t is hard work,
but it pays.
When the carpet is clean carefully remove the
oiosss from the pictures and furniture and shake
them out Of doors. Dust with soft cloth, wip-
ing the dust up and folding it into the cloth
which must be shaken often. Never make the
mistake OF using a feather duster or any other
continuance which merely whisks the dust
off one article to settle upon another It
is good plan to follow up the busting by a Wig
orous rubbing of the furniture with soft fan
mel cloth upon which few drops of oil or fur
niture polish have been put. If there is stove
in the room rub it with flannel just moistened
with blacking When all is ready bring back
the furniture and ornaments, changing their
arrangement somewhat and sit down to view
tho result.
Ten to one if friend should happen in she
will declare that sou have taken up your carpet
and cleaned the room. I would, in fact give
more for such a sweeping than for the cleaning
of many housekeepers who know that their
carpets taken I'D and put down again but
who do not know how much or how little beating
they may have had. A room thus swept if not
in constant use, may go lorg time with occa-
sonal brushing up with the sweeper, and thus
prove saving in time and strength, as we'll as a
constant satisfaction to the woman who hates
dirt and can only be happy in its absence
Miscellaneous Notes.
Towash silk handk erchiefs, soak them first il
cold salt and water for ten minutes, or longer
then wash out in the same water and iron i'm
mediately.